This Is Where We Say Goodbye
by xoUntilxoKingdomxoComexo
Summary: Did you ever wonder why Cato wanted to get home so badly? Why he was so upset when Clove died? Did he have someone back home in District 2? The answer to all these questions is simple, one universal answer. Ellianna Martinez; the first person to see Cato as more than just a heartless killer, the first person to love him.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own any characters or places that you recognise**

**This Is Where We Say Goodbye**

Hunger Games - Cato/OC Did you ever wonder why Cato wanted to get home so badly? Why he was so upset when Clove died? Did he have someone back home in District 2? The answer to all these questions is simple, one universal answer. Ellianna Martinez; the first person to see Cato as more than just a heartless killer, the first person to love him.

Chapter One: Watching your worst nightmare

My life was ruined by the Hunger Games, by the Capitol. I wasn't a tribute, I wasn't thrown into the arena, and I didn't have to kill or be killed. None the less, my life is now empty, because of them. My name is Ellianna Martinez and this is my story…

Looking up at the Justice Building, my navy blue dress moving in the breeze, I had to repress a laugh when I saw our ridiculously dressed escort: Antoinette, her purple wig, sorry _hair_, was pulled into an extravagant up do, and I think her orange dress was wider than she was tall (which wasn't saying much considering she was really short).

Suddenly, her shrill voice rang out, "Happy Hunger Games District 2! May the odds be ever in your favour! Let's start with the girls, shall we?" What disturbed me the most was the amount of glee that she spoke with, when sending children to their deaths.

She reached her hand into the crystal bowl containing the name of every girl in District 2 aged 12 to 18. She pulled a single piece of paper out with a flourish of her hand.

Opening the paper, she announced, loud and clear, one name, "Clove Martinez"

In that moment, my world changed forever. My sister, my baby sister had been reaped. I watched Clove make the short trip from the 15 year-old section to the stage, to be greeted by Antoinette as she put on a stone-cold, expressionless face.

"Are there any volunteers?" Antoinette questioned.

I was ready to volunteer myself, when I caught Clove's eye and she shook her head, knowing what I was planning to do.

"No? Okay then. Now, onto the lovely young men," She said, her voice still too gleeful, though I was unable to fully concentrate as I was still frozen with fear for my baby sister.

Well, that was until I heard a voice come from the 18 year-olds, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

It took me a moment to fully register it, but it was Cato, _my_ Cato. In that moment, I realised that I was going to lose one or both of them, whatever the outcome. I saw Antoinette beckon him up onto the stage and Cato put on a persona, a mask, that, to be honest, frightened me.

"And what's your name young man?" Antoinette questioned.

"Cato Ludwig" Cato replied shortly.

"Happy Hunger Games everyone!" Was the last thing Antoinette said before the two people who meant the most to me, were ushered into the Justice Building.

When they were out of sight and the doors were closed behind them, I turned to scan the gathered crowd, my brunette hair flowing like a curtain in the wind. Spotting the familiar dark hair of my family, I ran through the crowd towards them, throwing myself into my brother's arms, burying my head in the crook of his neck. He held up my 5'1" body with ease as he was a good foot taller than me. The four of us made our way to the Justice Building together with me still wrapped up in my brother, Dane's, arms.

I, along with my family, went to see Clove first. As soon as I saw her sitting on the plush, velvet sofa, I launched myself at her, and in that moment in time, I felt more like the youngest, the baby, than the eldest girl. The whole time we were in there, I didn't say a word just sat there with my head in Clove's lap, listening to my parents and brother talking to her. When the peacekeeper came to kick us out, the tears started, I held my sister as tightly as my small form could manage.

I alone was then permitted to visit Cato. The room that he was in was identical to the one I had just been in with Clove. As I entered the room, Cato looked up towards me. He took one look at my tearstained face before he was on his feet and holding me in his arms. He moved us to the sofa where he sat me on his lap, my face still buried in his shirt.

"I'm so sorry Elli," He whispered, kissing me lightly on the lips, "I'm so sorry."

As I looked up at him, I said, "I love you Cato and you have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me?"

"But…" He tries to reason with me before I cut him off.

"Nothing, Cato, Nothing," My voice was hard, like ice.

"I love you too," he said, his face defeated.

"Try to come back, please," I pleaded with him

"I promise you Elli, I will fight for you until the moment my heart stops beating." His tone of voice signified to me that this promise was final.

"Times up" The Peacekeeper's harsh voice echoed through the large room.

Cato stood up with me and kissed me for what would be the final time. It was a kiss full of passion and longing but most of all, love.

Pulling away from the love of my life, I murmured, "This is where we say goodbye."

On the night of the opening ceremony, no-matter how good the District 12 tributes, Katniss and Peeta, looked (which was very), my eyes were focused on Cato and Clove. On the TV screen, my sister looked so small and fragile but the way she held herself emitted a feeling of confidence and authority, Cato, on the other hand, looked almost twisted and evil and the way he also held himself, like Clove, gave off a sense of confidence and authority. However, no-matter how thick their ice-cold masks were, I could see right through them. I could see it in their eyes; they were just as scared as every other kid there.

The next time we saw the tributes, it was the interviews, as well as finding out the training scores. Cato got a 10 and Clove got a 9. They're both really good scores but Katniss, from 12, got an 11, practically unheard of.

Cato and Clove kept up the façade they had been playing the whole time, heartless careers. Now, anyone who knew them, really knew them, would now that this wasn't the real Cato and Clove but they were playing their parts so well that even I was starting to believe them. Cato came across as cocking and arrogant, confident that he would win. Clove was similar, but she did it in a more feminine way, like a cat getting ready to pounce on its prey. What surprised me the most, though was Katniss, who was a bit of a ditz, going on and on about her jewel encrusted dress and how amazing it was. As much as it made me sick, the dress was beautiful…

To me, the interviews were just taking me one step closer to losing the most important things in the world to me.

Most of the games passed in a bit of a blur for me. On the first day, I only really registered that both Cato and Clove had made it out of the Bloodbath at the Cornucopia alive, both with the weapons they desperately needed. When they were in that arena, I watched Cato and Clove lose themselves completely.

I watched Cato kill the District 3 boy, with his bare hands in a matter of seconds by breaking his neck. As well as Thresh, I think, the huge boy from 11, and four others. His crystal clear blue eyes were becoming icier as I watched him lose his sanity day by day.

I witnessed Clove kill about three tributes in the initial bloodbath. I also saw her attempt to mutilate Katniss with her knives. Her once sparkling green eyes that shone with happiness now shone with something else. Something dark and twisted, something driven by insanity.

It was when Clove was attempting to kill Katniss that she met her own end. Thresh, the man mountain from 11, hit her over the head with a rock, her scream ricocheting throughout the arena. From the woods surrounding the clearing, you could hear Cato's voice calling out, "Clove! Clove! Clove,"

The cameras focused on my sister's face, as the light faded from her emerald green eyes and she muttered something incoherent, over and over. At a closer look, it almost seemed as if she was saying 'I'm sorry'. If she was, in fact, saying sorry, what for, none of the previous events were of her making. Just before her eyes went dull, I caught a glimpse of the girl she used to be, before the Hunger Games, the innocent, care-free child. The moment her eyes turned lifeless, I became the baby of the family, but I was far from innocent and my life was far from serene.

The final three. Cato, Katniss and Peeta. Cato was going to come home, or they were. While they were 'refreshing' themselves at the lake, Cato was getting chased by mutations, now, what's fair in that? He hurtled himself out of the woods, Katniss shooting an arrow at his chest. A fatal shot, had it not been for the impenetrable body armour. He sprinted past the pair who were currently oblivious to the mutts that were hot on Cato's heels. That was until they emerged from the tree line, which sent them running after Cato towards the golden horn of the Cornucopia.

When they were on the 'safety' of Cornucopia, Cato collapsed in exhaustion. However he wasn't out just yet and he certainly wasn't down for long as within moments he was holding Peeta over the edge as the mutts attempted to get onto the golden horn. He stood there, at the edge, all sanity gone, and he taunted Katniss, saying that if she were to shoot him, Peeta would go down with him. I watched as Peeta brought his blood soaked hand up from his leg, which had gotten caught in the jaws of one of the mutts, and drew a bright red 'x' on the back of the hand which Cato used to hold him in place. Realisation crossed across Cato's face, but he was too late, Katniss realised just a second before he did. She shot an arrow at his hand, hitting precisely in the middle of the blood 'x', causing Cato to release Peeta. He then lost his balance, falling over the side of the Cornucopia and into the jaws of the mutts.

He fought them off with his sword for at least an hour or two, I lost track of time when I was minutes away from losing the love of my life. They won, eventually, overpowering him and pulling him into the mouth of the Cornucopia. In the hours that followed, the mutts tore him apart piece by piece. In that time, I was unable to open by eyes, afraid of what I would be greeted by, and threw up multiple times at the sound of Cato's groans of pain. In the early hours of the morning, I heard Katniss and Peeta's voice from the TV screen, then I heard the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air and a canon-fire. Cato was dead and through the pain and the emptiness, I was grateful that Katniss had ended his suffering, that he was now able to rest in peace.

When Cato's body was delivered back to District 2, it almost looked as if he hadn't been attacked by those mutts and almost as if he was just asleep, the 'magic' of the Capitol. He was buried, next to Clove in the District's cemetery within two days. They say funerals bring you closure, for me they made me feel numb, because I had attended 2 funerals in a matter of weeks. I'd lost my sister and my boyfriend in a matter of weeks.

After Cato's funeral, I stayed, sitting in between Cato and Clove, not talking just sitting. When it began to get dark, I stood, dusting of my simple black dress. I walked about a metre or two and taking one last look at the people who meant the most to me, who were now six feet under, I said, "This is where we say goodbye" resting a hand on my still flat stomach, before I walked away, without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

**This Is Where We Say Goodbye**

Hunger Games - Cato/OC Did you ever wonder why Cato wanted to get home so badly? Why he was so upset when Clove died? Did he have someone back home in District 2? The answer to all these questions is simple, one universal answer. Ellianna Martinez; the first person to see Cato as more than just a heartless killer, the first person to love him.

Chapter 2: Leaving your life behind you

My life was ruined by the Hunger Games, by the Capitol. I was a tribute, I was thrown into the arena, and I had to kill or be killed. I lost myself and everyone I cared about, because of them. My name is Cato Ludwig and this is my story…

My eyes drifted up to the Justice Building where our mayor, victors and escort, Antoinette, were standing. Antoinette was her usual exuberant self, with huge, and I mean _huge_, purple hair, and a bright orange dress. I showed no outward reaction but I knew that Elli, my long-time girlfriend, and her sister, Clove, would be repressing laughter, as they always are.

Her_ unique _voice echoed through the otherwise silent square, "Happy Hunger Games District 2! May the odds be ever in your favour! Let's start with the girls, shall we?" she actually sounded genuinely happy that she had the_ honour_ of sending children to their deaths.

With a wave of her hand, she pulled a name out of the crystal bowl, with over 100 different names in, belonging to every girl from 12 to 18.

"Clove Martinez" She said, clear as day.

Clove's fifteen. She may be trained but that doesn't mean she's prepared for the arena. As she ascended to the stage, her usual bright, happy,_ innocent _face took on the appearance of that of a heartless killer.

"Are there any volunteers?" Antoinette asked the assembled crowd.

I knew that Elli would be preparing to volunteer when I caught sight of Clove shaking her head. She was telling Elli not to sacrifice herself to save her.

"No? Okay then. Now, onto the lovely young men," She said, her voice held an eerie cheerfulness to it, it was creepy.

I knew I couldn't let Clove go into that arena with some stranger, and I know I might not come home but, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!

Antoinette motioned for me to come to the stage. On the way, I put on a stone cold mask, so everyone would think that I was doing this for my own personal gain, for glory, not for my girlfriend and her little sister.

"And what's your name young man?" Antoinette questioned me.

"Cato Ludwig" I replied sharply, trying to get this over as quickly as possible.

Just before Clove and I were taken into the Justice Building, Antoinette said, "Happy Hunger Games everyone!" again.

My parents visited me first, my father was proud that I was bringing 'honour' to the family; my mother was just plain worried. She didn't want to lose her baby boy to the Hunger Games, like she had my sister, Adrianne. Addie was in the 70th Hunger Games, when the arena was flooded, she drowned- she couldn't swim. I missed her every day. As much as I hated to admit it, my mother was going to lose both her children to the Hunger Games because even if I die trying, Elli's sister was coming home.

After they left, I stared out of the window, looking at my home for what would be the last time. The door creaked open, my head whipping around to see who was next to come through those doors. It was the person I was doing this for, Elli. Her creamy white cheeks were replaced by tear streaked ones. Getting to my feet, I rushed over to her, taking her in my arms, cherishing every last moment that I had left with her. I gently moved us to the green velvet sofa located in the middle of the room, Elli occupying her usual space in my lap, her tearstained face still hidden in my blue shirt.

"I'm so sorry Elli," I whispered, my voice soft as I captured his lips in a chaste kiss "I'm so sorry."

Looking up from my shirt, she said "I love you Cato and you have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me?" her emerald eyes burning with determination.

"But…" I attempted to reason with her but she interrupted me before I could get anything out.

"Nothing, Cato, Nothing," Her voice was hard, informing me that this was final and I wasn't a say.

"I love you too," I said, my face falling as I realised our time was ticking away.

"Try to come back, please," She said, her eyes pleading with me, begging me to come home to her, but I wasn't. Clove was.

"I promise you Elli, I will fight for you until the moment my heart stops beating." I promised, but not what thought I was promising, I was promising that she would get her sister back home safely.

"Times up" The Peacekeeper's voice ricocheted around the large room.

I brought the pair of us to our feet and kissed her with as much passion and love and adoration as I possessed. Our last kiss.

She pulled away slightly, murmuring, "This is where we say goodbye."

On the train to the Capitol, as we were sitting watching our own reaping, Clove turned to me and said, "You didn't have to do that you know,"

She knew what I did and why I did it.

"Yes, I did. You can replace a boyfriend, you can't replace a sister."

"You can't replace the love of your life Cato, because that's what you are to her and what she is to you. But you already know that, don't you?"

I went through the preparations for the games in a bit of a daze. My life turned into a blur of training, makeovers and public appearances, I had no privacy. Someone was always butting, in the only peace I had was at night when I was alone. I'd stare out at the city lights, wishing that I could be looking over the darkness of District 2 with my Elli by my side. But I wasn't, and I couldn't, because I was getting ready for the Hunger Games, for my death. Clove kept reprimanding me for what I did; volunteering to make sure she got home to Elli, saying that Elli would get over her death eventually, but Elli would never stop loving me, even if she moved on with someone else.

In my interview, Caesar Flickerman asked me why I volunteered. I told him it was because I knew that I could win, that I was strong enough and smart enough. I played the arrogant career card, like almost every other person from my district had. Contrary to common belief, careers _are_ human, and although we may not show it, we're just as scared as the rest of them. We're children who are forced to grow up far to fast, suddenly having a 1 in 24 chance of making it to your next birthday.

In District 2, we're brought up to be fighters, to be winners, to be the Capitol's lap-dogs. Those who don't go into the arena, end up in the Capitol anyway, training to be Peace Keepers. Elli and I used to dream of running away to somewhere that we could escape the pressures of being a career. We could've gone to District 12 and we wouldn't have minded living in poverty, as long as we had each other.

Each day that goes by in the Capitol, is another day closer to my death, but I'm not scared because I know that wherever you go when you die has got to be better than this.

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"Let the 74th Hunger Games, BEGIN!"

Carnage,

Chaos,

Death…

It was everywhere. Clove's knife was in someone's back within a minute and a half. And another two people after that. My sword was just slicing through the air, through the other tributes. The bloodbath. I never quite understood why they called it that, until now. That was the moment that I lost my sanity, my grip on reality. My only salvation was that Elli wasn't here too. But she was as good as; she had to watch me lose myself.

I don't know what happened. I got angry, and within seconds the boy from District 3 was on the ground at my feet. I killed him; I broke his neck like a twig, with my bare hands.

Day by day, I watched Clove's eyes go darker with insanity. Even if my plan worked and Clove won, she would never be the Clove she was before. No matter who won, they'd never be the same.

A scream echoed through the arena, I took no notice of it to start with; I mean it is the Hunger Games. Then I realised whose scream it was; Clove's. I ran through the forest, calling her name, begging that I wasn't too late, that she wasn't dead. But it was just wishful thinking, before I even came close, I heard the canon fire. I burst into the clearing and saw her lying on her back, like she was asleep, no visible injuries, apart from the purple-black bruise forming on her temple. I failed. If Elli wasn't getting her sister back, she was getting me. I was going to win this; I was going to win for Clove.

This was going to end soon. I was walking through the forest looking for the District 12 lovers when I heard a growl from behind me. Turning slowly, I found myself staring into a pair of bright green eyes that mirrored Clove's, but these shone with a hatred that even in the arena, Clove was not capable of. Without thinking, my feet turned me around and started to propel me forward, past the lovers and towards the Cornucopia. I barely even felt the burning of the hot golden horn as I scrambled up to the top where I hoped that I would find salvation. I collapsed onto the middle, my breathing uneven as my heart slowed from it's rapid pace.

Looking up at the pair on the Cornucopia, I noticed that Katniss had her back to Peeta. I took my chance, grabbing him by the neck, holding him over the edge where the mutts were waiting. Katniss aimed an arrow at my forehead. I smirked, telling her that if I went down, her precious boyfriend would be coming with me.

Peeta reached his hand down to the bite on his leg from one of the mutts. Bringing the same hand up, he drew an 'x' on my hand that was holding his neck. I was confused at first, but then I realised, it was a target. I understood too late though, Katniss realised a second before me. Before I knew it, she was launching an arrow at my hand, making me release Peeta and lose my balance, falling into the pit of mutts below me.

I fought them for an hour of so, maybe more, maybe less, for Elli; I had to get home to her. Eventually, I had to give in, letting them drag me into the Cornucopia. The tore at me with their teeth, and whenever I thought it was over, they'd start a new attack, worse that the one before.

Hours later, they finally stopped. I could hear Katniss and Peeta, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I was begging for death, for this pain to be over. Repeating 'please' over and over, but it never quite came out. Then I remembered Elli, her smile, her laugh, her chocolate hair, her emerald eyes, her everything. I opened my eyes, staring up at the Cornucopia; I saw an arrow coming my way, headed straight for my forehead. I was grateful, that I wasn't going to be in pain anymore, that Elli wouldn't have to watch me suffer. And then nothing, peace, it was over. It was all over.


	3. Epilogue

**I know this is really short and I'm sorry but there is a bit more to come, I promise - a bit of Cato and Ellianna's history**

**This Is Where We Say Goodbye**

Hunger Games - Cato/OC Did you ever wonder why Cato wanted to get home so badly? Why he was so upset when Clove died? Did he have someone back home in District 2? The answer to all these questions is simple, one universal answer. Ellianna Martinez; the first person to see Cato as more than just a heartless killer, the first person to love him.

Epilogue: Life goes on

_~10 years later~_

In the beginning, just after I lost Cato and Clove, people told me that it would get better, that I'd move on. I used to think: 'yeah, I'd be so lucky'. I was pregnant at 16 with my dead boyfriend's baby. In my head, moving on was just not an option, I loved Cato with all my heart and that was that.

Then, after the Mockingjay Revolution, Gale Hawthorne moved to District 2. Gale Hawthorne was the ex-best friend of Katniss Everdeen, AKA the Mockingjay. No-one would talk to him; he was a stranger, an outsider, from District 12 of all places, no-one apart from me. The first time we spoke was after my daughter, Cate, went missing, he found her, and brought her home and we just started talking. Our friendship just went from there. He told me all about life in District 12 with Katniss and his family, who I met a few months after he moved here. In return, I told him about life in District 2 and how it felt to lose Cato and Clove within 2 days of each other. With him, for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel alone. I felt the same warmth that I felt when I was with Cato. It scared me, but then I asked myself, 'Would he really want me to suffer by myself'. So, I let Gale in, and realised that I could move on. Due to that realisation I now have a beautiful baby boy, Kol, and a 2-year-old daughter, Clover, as well as Cate. It's strange, because she's not like me at all, she's a mini-Cato and it hurts but, it helps. I know that I will always have a piece of my first love, of my Cato. Clover, now she is almost the exact replica of her namesake, except she has her father's grey eyes. Kol is just like Gale, the strong, silent type, never cries, just sits, his green eyes staring up at you, full of so much life.

I still love Cato, and I think a part of me always will, but I love Gale too. I know a part of him still loves Katniss. Cato wouldn't want me to be alone, I know that, and I'm not, I have my family. One day, I'll tell Clover and Kol about the man with the golden hair and the silver blade, just like Gale will tell them of the girl on fire with the deadly aim. Cate already knows parts of the stories, that Gale isn't her real father, although she calls him Daddy, and is always asking questions about Cato. All of which, I'm happy to answer, because I can't deny her the right to know about her family. She's Cato's parents' little angel, the only piece of their son that they have left.

My life hasn't been perfect, I know that, but what people say is true, life does go on.


End file.
